CHAPTER 3: FROM THE SHADOWS
Thunder clapped through the night sky in a steady rhythm, accompanied by the distant rumble of heavy raindrops falling. The wind was cold but not unbearable. It blew in from the sea and brought with it a light mist, so thick it seemed to be solid. The moon was full and bright as a full moon can be while still being covered by clouds. The forest was illuminated like an oil painting by the faint glow that radiated from the moon and stars overhead. There were no sounds except for the occasional crunch of leaves underfoot or a bird's call in the distance. In the forest there was only the sound of nature calling out to the world and the occasional hoot of a night owl.
In the isolated jungle valley, miles away from civilization and outside Equestria's walls, a lone imperial knight named Twinkle Swan runs for her life. Unfortunately, she's the soul survivor of a fifteen mare operational attachment. When she and her team ventured through the valley, they were all so sure of themselves; each one convinced that their mission would be accomplished and the entire thing wouldn't be derailed by some insignificant setback. They expected success.
That was until the first of their fifteen mare platoon had died.
The first mare to die died on a full moon. Twinkle and her team awoke to find her friend missing in action. All they could find left of their comrade was a pile of ragged, torn clothing, shredded flesh, the remnants of her sword, and a trail of dried blood that led deeper into the wilderness. It happened to another one of their members the following night, and again the night after that. Sometimes they were taken while doing patrols together, other times while they slept.
At that time Twinkle started to suspect that they were being followed by some killer. Possibly an assassin since she and her team had seen many assassinations on ponies during their operation. But lately, ponies from one village spoke of a spirit that haunted the forest; a creature that stalked the shadows at night. Twinkle thought the stories were just urban legends, folklore that kept the superstitious on their toes. Her friends laughed in agreement from her point of view. No sane pony would believe such tales.
But that all changed three nights ago when they saw their killer.
The creature was something Twinkle had never seen before; nothing she remembered ever seeing before in her wildest nightmares. Due to it only coming out at night It was nearly impossible to spot amongst the darkness. It was fast and terrifyingly quiet. Despite the imperial's best efforts to fight back, the beast proved clearly to be cunning and vicious. During their first encounter six of Twinkle's comrades were slaughtered. She can still hear the cries of agony echoing in her head when she closes her eyes at night, the terror in the eyes of everyone of her companions, their bones cracking beneath the beast's jaws, and the wet rip of organs being torn from her screaming buddies. She has been plagued with nightmares ever since.
Every dreadful night more members of her team were killed, until their number dwindled down to three. Only Twinkle and two others were left. One morning on the seventeenth day, Twinkle woke up to discover the body of one of her last remaining comrades sixty feet away from their campsite. The young mare's stomach was eviscerated and his throat had been torn open. Twinkle hadn't heard a thing, she and her friend slept through the attack. Her other friend, her only other remaining companion, was mauled by the same killer.
And now, Twinkle was alone. Running for her life through the forest without any hope for survival or sense of a plan. She pumped her arms and legs in short bursts, hoping somehow that her body would carry her faster than her mind did, praying that her legs would carry her away from this horror. Her pale face strained with panic, sweat pouring down his face. Endless trees flashed past her as she ran. Occasionally revealing patches of moonlight through the gaps in the branches and leaves littering the path ahead. She felt like she was running through a tunnel with the dense canopy above blocking out even what little moonlight broke through the cover. She pushed himself further, ignoring her fatigue as she forced himself to run faster.
Twinkle looked over her shoulder, seeing nothing behind her. But she was no fool. She knew the predator was close by. Twinkle could feel her heart hammering against her chest and the blood rushing in her ears. The pounding was so loud that it drowned out even the constant thunderous crash of the storm. A sudden flash of lightning painted everything in white light and traced with shadow. In that brief moment she saw nothing but outlines of trees, plants, and bushes behind her.
Twinkle snapped her head back forward, sprinting through the forest, weaving around trees, ducking under low hanging limbs. Her chest heaved with exertion and her breath came in short gasps as she pressed harder on her lungs. She looked over her shoulder again just in time when another flash of lightning lit the forest in stark white light for only a moment. In that brief instant she caught sight of a horrifying outline of a creature poking their head out from a tree.
Its bright amber eyes bore into her own. Twinkle choked back a scream and quickly faced forward again. Her heart beat so rapidly it threatened to burst from her chest cavity. Her boot caught something and she stumbled slightly, catching herself before falling off balance. She squinted as rain pecked her eyes through her mask. Through the constant thrum of rain she heard it: a deep growl, followed by rapid panting.
The creature is closing in. Twinkle shook beneath the icy needles of rain, propelled by her surging adrenaline. Her vision blurred and she fought to focus, trying desperately to keep her thoughts clear. A flash of lightning struck close by and Twinkle jumped, losing her footing. The rain soaked through her clothes underneath her armor. Stinging her bare skin, making every step she took feel like torture. As if she didn't have enough of those already.
Somewhere in the darkness the beast was watching. Twinkle could feel it. Its eyes burned into the back of her neck as she struggled to pull herself along. It was probably digging its claws into the earth's floor in anticipation. Waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.
Twinkle's chest rose and fell heavily. Sweat rolled down her forehead, trickling into her eyes, blinding her momentarily. She squeezed her eyes shut and focused. She needed to think. She knew she couldn't run anymore; her lungs burned through each step she took. Every muscle aches with exhaustion. Her whole body felt like lead as it dragged along the dirt and twigs underfoot.
She needs to hide and hide quickly!
She slowed to a walk, stopping and her head twitched from side to side. Searching for anything to shelter herself behind. She looked up at a large tree before her and without thinking she began to climb. The weight of her armor caused her to struggle a bit. She pulled herself upwards until she found a branch about twenty feet above the ground and managed to climb onto it, settling in between its lowest and highest boughs. As she climbed, she pulled her cloak tightly around her body and held it in place with one hand.
Now, all she had to do was sit and wait. And pray to Celestia that the predator wouldn't know how to climb. There was a flash of lightning that briefly cast her surroundings in an eerie bluish light. When the light faded again, Twinkle glanced around, expecting to see the predator. There wasn't even an outline of a creature near her. The fear and panic that she was feeling dissipated immediately, replaced with a strange calmness and clarity of mind.
After about a minute there was another flash of lightning but she still saw nothing. Still, she didn't move. She doesn't know where the creature is but she knew it was out there somewhere. So she sat still and waited, keeping her breathing even. The seconds ticked by slowly, yet she felt no discomfort whatsoever.
If she just stays here and waits for the night to pass, it'll be safe enough for her to return to the safe walls of Canterlot where Princess Celestia is waiting for her. Once she gets back she can inform her of the situation and hopefully plead for a better position. There was no way Twinkle would venture back through this forest anymore; she would rather spend the remainder of her life rotting in a cell than endure another night spent inside of these woods.
Damp breath rushed over Twinkle's neck, pulling her out of her thoughts. She lifted her head and saw thick furred, hind leg paws gripping the branch with black claws. Her eyes crawled up the bending hind legs, up to the heaving chest and long muscular arms with five-fingered claws, to the thick of the neck. Moonlight shone on a majestic coat of fur shining like silver. Twinkle looked higher and saw the creature's head. its jaws opened and closed, tasting the air. The nostrils on the ends of its muzzle flared, causing a puff of smoke to emerge from within and its yellow eyes stared into Twinkles.
A pitiful cry escaped Twinkle's lips. Urine flowed freely between her legs. There was a flash of lightning and she watched the creature slowly climbing down towards her; it was taking its time. It knew she had nowhere else to go. That knowledge alone frightened Twinkle beyond measure. Twinkle's eyes adjusted to the darkness. She saw the hind legs of the creature standing before her. Twinkle was petrified with fear; she could no longer comprehend her reality or even think. All she could do was watch as the creature slightly crouched before her and stared back.
The creature's eyes glowed a vibrant yellow as they narrowed on Twinkle's form. The animal's wet black nose barely touches her cheek. Its breath steamed hot against her face, causing a shiver to race down her spine. A long low growl rumbled from the creature's throat.
Before Twinkle could do anything the creature swung its right claw and slapped her hard across the face. Knocking her off from the branch and landing roughly onto the moist dirt below. Pain shot through her cheekbone. Stars popped in her vision, forcing her to turn her face away as tears welled up in her eyes. The wind whipped her ears as pain continued coursing through her. Twinkle curled inward on herself, her hands covering her bleeding face and her arms protectively over her chest. She could taste the copper on the tip of her tongue.
Her eyes shot wide as a thump shook the ground next to her head. She didn't have time to see when she saw the earth's floor distant itself from her as she was rushed up into the air. Twinkle's scream echoed through the forest. The animal tossed her to the ground roughly. Twinkle landed painfully on her side, the impact sent a jolt through her entire body and caused her entire left side arm to twist uncomfortably to the point of agony. Twinkle screamed again. The creature was now standing on top of her, staring down at her with an expressionless snarl.
The animal's right claw shot forward and pressed hard on Twinkle's cheek, pinning her head down. The sensation brought a gasp of surprise from Twinkle. She cried out once more before the beast used its free claw to slice her stomach open. A dark red liquid poured forth, pooling around her side as Twinkle shrieked in pain.
Twinkle pounded its muzzle with her fist as a last ditch effort to escape the hold of the predator. This action annoyed the creature, and without warning it swiftly swiped its claws across her throat, ripping the flesh of her neck like wet tissue.
Hot blood gushed out of Twinkle's gaping wound like a fountain, spilling onto her breastplate and soaking her clothes completely. Tears streamed down her cheeks and mixed with the raindrops, mixing with blood. Another wave of pain coursed through her and it sent her sprawling backwards. She clutched her side and cried out loudly in pain as she laid on her back, shrieking up at the night sky.
In her last fleeting moment of consciousness, another strike of lightning streaked across the sky illuminating everything with brilliant white light, revealing the animal buried its muzzle into her abdomen and tugged out several hunks of bloodied meat.
Her own horrendous death rattle, boring through the ragged holes in her throat was the last thing she felt.
Silence filled the room as Marcus slowly stride through the library. Cobwebs glimmered above his head like a blanket of stars. The shadows danced around him and made his steps feel heavier than ever. The air smelled musty with age, mold, and dust. But seeing how ancient the room looked, Marcus thought it to be expected. It was a place for centuries of scholars to study, write, and learn. Books were everywhere, stacked on tables and standing atop shelves. Some books had yellowing pages and covers worn down by time, while others were so pristine that it seemed they hadn't been touched since their author's death. All the books looked worn from having passed time in this very building. However, even with the amount of dust accumulated in the shelves, most of them appeared intact. Some were more aged than others, but none was missing their binding. No one had taken them away.
It was quiet in the library too. Too quiet for Marcus's comfort.
It was then that his eyes fell on one section of a shelf. Underneath a layer of dust attached by a small mocking jay bird magnet was a book. Marcus blinked, not having noticed it. He slowly walked up to it, getting a better look at it. As if under its own control Marcus's hand reached for it carefully taking it out from its holding place. Once he had it in his grasp, he internally read its title:
Nimble's diary.
Marcus's brow quirked up at this. Who's this Nimble person? What kind of name is that? For some reason that kind of word made him think of his neighbor's cat. Hesitation pulled him back as he stopped his hand mid inches from the top vertex.
No, he thought, shaking his head disapprovingly. This was wrong, he can't just read someone's place of privacy.
Marcus pressed his lips together under his helmet. His eyes darted away from the book in his hands. If he was being honest it felt wrong and invasive. Reading other people's personal privacy seemed strange. Though he didn't have a diary of his own, not even he would want anyone looking through his daily experiences and events as they happen. Whether they be good or bad.
Marcus sighed. "To whoever who owns this book, please forgive me." He said under his breath.
His finger twitched on the vertex. Biting his lips with temptation coursing through his whole being. Try as he might, Marcus couldn't deny himself that he is curious but even so it's still wrong. True as this maybe there's one other thing Marcus should take into fact. Whoever owns this surely isn't here anymore. At least he hopes they're not around—alive even. He knew there would be no salvation from a good beating. But besides that, there's no one around except him so maybe a little peak wouldn't hurt.
After what felt like an eternity Marcus made his decision. With one swift of his hand he turned the first page. His eyes setting on the firsts words written in black:
Dear diary,
My hands tremble as I write. I feel a need to document my records for I fear that my memory will fail me. I'll keep my introduction short.
My name is Nimble Flect. I am the kingdom of the north's one and only doctor.
Today me and a group of men ventured into the dark ancient forest. Our torches burned faintly in the murky air as we slowly made our way through the valley. The stallions were superstitious and fearful. They argued loudly and I felt their fear getting to me. My brother was leading us, yelled at them to continue forward. After a few minutes of walking, I was so lost in thought through my notes that I failed to notice the sudden shift in the atmosphere.
The forest was silent.
There wasn't a single sound. A breeze tickled the leaves, sending them swaying in the cool air. The night sky above me remained empty and unseeing. I looked over to see that everyone else did too. None of them dared to speak up about their fears, or what they sensed. Their faces were set into stoic expressions, waiting patiently for something to happen.
As deafening as the silence was, we continued forward.
A bit Intrigued by this appetizer of knowledge he turns to the next page reading another few words written down.
Dear diary,
The first of our sixteen man group have died. The first man to die happened at night. One of the men found their friend missing in action. All we could find left of him was his sword. It happened to another man the following night, and the night after that.
And now, my brother is missing.
We're being hunted.
Marcus frowned upon reading the final line. Said line gradually pulled his nerves like the strings of a puppet; tightening around his heart and mind. The hairs stood on the back of his neck and he shivered a bit. The last line of Nimble Flect had formed a cyclical chant in his head.
The question of what had been hunting Nimble and his group filled Marcus with limitless potential of phobias. He found himself turning his gaze away from the diary's page, scanning the shadows for any sign of a phantom, be it animal or man.
The giant Raven from earlier could have been stalking Nimble and his group, however Marcus doubted that something that large could swoop down and snatch a man without making any kind of sound.
Marcus let go of his breath and turned his gaze back towards the diary in his hands; his blood cooled upon the prospect of a man eater. Back when he was alive his father once told him that whether you were a heavily armed soldier or an expert hunter, such a man is little more than weak and fragile. It was a primal instinct that his father saw in his own friends.
Somewhere a bit far in the room, there was a powerful thump, and the floor shook.
Marcus whipped over his shoulder. His eyes crawled up the cracked cobblestone floor, to a giant metal boot that stood out of the shadows. Out came a second boot, followed by another thump. Like a tree had fallen and the floor shook again. That is when the second boot stepped further into the circle of sunlight. Marcus swallowed hard. The figure standing afar took shape, and he could finally make out what exactly was causing the castle to rumble.
He recognized it almost instantly. The armored behemoth before him was enormous. Standing three stories tall it easily dwarfed him in size. It wore intricate cast-iron armor and wielded a halberd. On its back, oily black tendrils curled against it, twisting and writhing around itself like a living creature.
Marcus took a step back. His eyes grew large when a shocking realization dawned on him. He knows this armored titan. No, he's fought this thing before. A gasp rose in Marcus's throat, a knee jerk reaction but he smothered it behind his right gauntlet.
In his mind's eye he could clearly remember the moment when the armored behemoth had attacked him and had taken him off guard. He remembered the struggle he went through upon facing such a strong foe. But there was only one game where Marcus had fought it once and he shivered upon realizing this. Marcus lifted his head and stared back into the cold gaze of the armored behemoth. It stood motionless with the halberd to its side.
Marcus trembled violently; this has to be a dream, he refused to believe this is real. None of this could be real. That towering knight couldn't be real, and its halberd couldn't be rising forty feet off the floor. He was in a state of pure shock; he could feel the fabric of his mind being torn asunder. He was so shocked that his gauntlet unconsciously removed itself from his mouth and reached for the hilt of his sword.
Iudex Gundyr grunted and took a step forward.
Marcus twisted his torso, fully facing the approaching armored behemoth. Unsheathing his sword and bringing it up in front of him. He could feel his heart pounding wild against his ribcage as he watched the armored behemoth closing the distance in each heavy footsteps. In a matter of steps, it'll tear him to shreds.
The sword danced from side to side as his hands shook in his grip. The armored behemoth was three steps close to him, and something in Marcus took charge when he suddenly charged towards it by instinct. The sword was raised high, the tip of the blade glinting in the sunlight. Marcus yelped and slashed his sword at Iudex Gundyr's right leg.
Said tip of the blade struck home and ludex Gundyr exploded in white mist. Ripples of wind rippled through the room making the torchlight dance wildly in response to the violent movement. The towering bookshelves shook violently from the force of the wind. Before long all traces of Iudex Gundyr disappeared from sight leaving nothing behind but a pair of smoking scorched footprints.
A gasp escaped from Marcus. His knees buckled underneath him as he collapsed backwards on his rear to the cobblestone floor. The adrenaline left his body in a rush. His breathing was labored, he could barely breathe. Marcus covered his helmet with both hands, trying to steady his racing heartbeat. He felt dizzy and sick, sweat poured down his face. He squeezed his eyes shut, his thoughts racing as fast as the wind.
Is this really real? This has to be a dream, it has to be! But I'm alive and breathing well. Was I really facing ludex Gundyr in the flesh? That attack I did instantly obliterate it in a mist, how the hell did I do that?
"Quite shocking, isn't it?"
Marcus snapped back to reality at the sudden voice. Looking around for the owner of the new voice, he heard a soft giggle coming from his right. He stood back up, slowly turning to the sound, looking up at where the laughter originated from.
Floating above him was a little girl. Her body was petite, and had long cyan hair cascading down her shoulders like ink. She was wearing a white dress that resembled the material of clouds, her light skin shining as she smiled gently down at him. She was beautiful and her appearance was ethereal - almost making her seem a little less real than she actually was. Her eyes glimmered with the purest of blue. They matched beautifully with her long wavy hair and a pair of pink lips formed into a genuine smile. Her wings, like a bird, fluttered softly behind her.
The second their gaze met, the little girl let out a delighted giggled. Before he could blink she flew down at him with great speed, floating in front of him without breaking eye contact.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," she said, smiling sweetly. "You're confused, for that I am certain. Allow me to introduce myself." She closed her eyes, waving at him before folding her arms and opening her eyes again. "Hello, I am Edwen, the sentient intelligence assigned to guide you wherever your journey may lead."
Edwen? What kind of name is that...? Marcus wondered.
Edwen then floated around him in a circle. Her eyes glowed brightly before dimming to her usual blue.
"I believe you are the one who's called Marcus Anderson, yes?" She asked him. Marcus nodded slowly, unsure of how to proceed from there. It's not like he had a clue what was going on in these weird circumstances anyway. "Hmm, just as I expected," Edwen chuckled. "You do have quite an interesting name, you know."
Marcus stared at her blankly.
"Well, now that we have the introduction sorted out," she began. "Let us begin our discussion by stating the obvious. Not too long ago you gave up your life to save the life of an innocent soul, which I must say is very noble indeed. Usually the average soul after dying would ascend into the afterlife depending on how you view the concept." She continued. "However, unlike the average soul, yours didn't make it into the afterlife. Instead, you were given something no one has ever received in eons: a chance to be reborn."
Edwen paused mid sentence, giving him time to fully process and understand what she had just explained. Marcus was slightly taken aback. Reborn? Reincarnation?
"As for where you are right now, you're in a new world," Edwen continued. "A world home to many different species but not one of your own, the ones called humans. The main inhabitants of this country, known as Equestria mind you, are beings identified as 'Anthropomorphic Ponies' or Anthro Ponies for short. Each of them are different from the other races in each aspect. You have the earth ponies, the soaring pegasus, and unicorns that can use magic." Edwen finished.
Marcus's eyes widened once he heard the description of the other races. In fact, he couldn't help but wonder why they were referred to as 'Pony' instead of just 'Earth Pony'. He then immediately shook his head trying to clear his thoughts.
"There are also Minotaurs, Griffins, yaks, and many more. But these creatures are not what you should be setting your sights on," Edwen warned, her eyes narrowing. "While all of those creatures have their strengths and weaknesses, they are nothing compared to the true threat of this world. Would you like to know more?" Edwen asked, crossing her arms.
"Yes. Do continue." Marcus stated firmly. He's still not quite accustomed to his intimidating Russian accent yet.
Edwen smirked, amused with Marcus's statement.
"Very well. Do pay attention." She instructed. "Fifteen thousand years ago, before the world was shrouded in darkness; Equestria was a beautiful paradise. All life thrived in its beautiful lands. Friendship flourished between the various races living on the land. But most of all, harmony reigned. Everyone lived together peacefully with one another in a peace such as never had been seen. It was the happiest and most peaceful time in existence, until the day when darkness fell on the world."
Marcus listened attentively as Edwen went on speaking.
"It started about five years prior. Ancient beings began to appear out of nowhere, and thus the world began to change slowly and ominously. The more time had passed, the more unnatural the world became; creatures that only exist in books had begun appearing in Equestrian lands. Their appearances were bizarre and monstrous. Some were completely black, others were covered in scales or horns. Many of their faces were distorted; they seemed to have a blank soulless expression across their faces, and their eyes had no discernible color. These things were the Hollows of the earth; undeads born out of nightmares. Those creatures grew in strength and numbers faster than could be expected. They would come forth in droves; armies consisting of the most dangerous and vicious of creatures imaginable.
They would stalk silently throughout the world and strike terror in anyone unfortunate enough to cross paths with them." Edwen frowned.
Hollows, huh, Marcus thought.
"Many armies such as Hollows, Knights, Barbarians, Dragons and many more ravaged across many kingdoms like wildfire. Destroying everything in their path. As each legion grew closer to another territory, the number of casualties began to rise rapidly, especially during battles. It wasn't long before one kingdom in the north began to fall to the demons' control. At first it was merely an ordinary village in Saddle Arabia, but soon enough, it was overrun. The population there dwindled by hundreds of thousands, with the death toll reaching tens of thousands of victims."
Edwen turned away from him, looking straight ahead.
"There used to be those who fought these dark beings and managed to push them back, but not anymore, it seemed. When it became apparent that it was hopeless, all of these people gathered together and decided to fight through the new world of Dark Souls. The Prestige Knights they were called. Some fought and died bravely; however, not everyone made it back alive. There, many of them were slaughtered like sheep. It left them no place to rest. They were all gone. Their souls now reside in an eternal sleep within the heart of Equestria." She looked back at him, smiling once again. "But not all is lost. The Prestige Knights are gone, this is true, but not all of them are gone from this world; there is still one Prestige Knight remaining."
Edwen floated over towards him, staring at him closely as she reached for his hands. Her soft fingers brushed against the knuckles as she held them in hers, staring deeply into his eyes.
"It's you Marcus Anderson; the last Prestige Knight. You, who were chosen by fate to become the next Prestige Knight of Equestria, are destined to restore peace back to this world. And you alone have the key that will allow such a thing to happen and bring about the end of the darkness that has reigned upon this world."
She released his hands before flying back to her spot.
Marcus had to admit, he was speechless. I'm going crazy, he thought to himself. This whole situation must be just a dream... It's too bizarre for me to believe, I can barely process what I've learned.
He sat there in silence for some time, letting all that she had said sink in. Oh who was he kidding, this isn't a dream. As much as Marcus wanted to deny it, he knew deep down that Edwen was telling the truth. This entire situation just had to be a strange combination of coincidence and chance. One that he had somehow ended up getting mixed up in.
A part of him wasn't sure if he was actually scared or excited by what was happening to him. Sure he'd always believed in fairy tales, but he'd never really experienced one. To tell the truth, he wasn't feeling overwhelmed and nervous; on the contrary, he felt calm and collected. It was kinda odd.
"And, with your high level of status, I have no doubt you'll be able to venture through this world and take out any foe that stands against you with great ease." Edwen smiled. Marcus lifted his head up at her, a brow arched up from behind his helmet.
"High level?" Marcus repeated. "Color me curious, Edwen. But what do you mean by that? What level am I exactly?" He inquired.
Edwen giggled. "You mean you haven't noticed? You're a level one-hundred-&-eighty-five." She replied, a knowing smile plastered on her face. Marcus stared wide-eyed at hearing her reply.
A brief delay ensued as Marcus's brain processed Edwen's words before inevitably silencing him. He stared into deep space, trying his best to wrap his head around the idea of being at a level one-hundred.
"Now, I know you probably have a lot of questions. But I promise I will answer them once we make haste towards our first destination." Edwen spoke up again, breaking Marcus's train of thought. "But first things first. You're going to be needing these that will help you on your journey." She added, raising her arm and pointed her palm forward.
A sudden flash of light appeared, assaulting Marcus and he immediately brought his arm over his eyes. Said light painted everything in white and traced with shadow. In that brief instant he saw the outline of objects appearing on the floor close to his boots. Marcus lowered his head down and glanced at the objects and instantly recognized them.
The first object that came into view was a giant charcoal sword. The blade was ever so slightly rounded at the edge and curved at the fuller, the cross-guard being formed from two thick bars of silver interlocked and shaped like a diamond. Its handle was made out of what seemed like pure iron with runes carved into the surface. The edges were smoothed with no sign of sharpness. A small symbol rested on the handle's pommel, just above where the hilt would normally sit; it was a simple star, seemingly carved out of solid metal.
The second object was a flask that glowed brightly in amber color beneath its glass surface. He can see flames dancing at the bottom of the vessel. The liquid was swirling around inside in a hypnotic manner. Marcus instantly recognized it as an Estus Flask, a healing potion. Marcus turned his gaze again to look towards the third and final object.
This object was a giant axe. Its knob and throat of the handle were wrapped with a black band which was engraved with intricate lines and symbols. The axe was almost seven feet long and was extremely heavy. It was almost as though it was made of solid gold. The steel blade itself was smooth and polished, almost shining underneath the faint glow of the torches that surrounded him.
Finally, Marcus looked up and locked his gazes with Edwen.
"What kind of weapon is this?" He asked her, astonished.
"This is the legendary King's Axe. I have no knowledge of the king's name this axe belonged to, but It's a gift to every king that holds the title of champion. Only then will a battle be won. Only then will victory be achieved." Edwen explained.
Without warning Edwen snapped her fingers. Not too far from Marcus and Edwen, dust and wind began to pick up. The library shook violently, and pebbles on the ground were swept away, pulled towards some anomaly that was taking place.
The wind suddenly grew more ominous. Blue particles begin to spark out and fly around in this contained windstorm, before a small blue ball appears in the road. Shining bright for just a flash, the ball dulls to an almost black shade of color, as it rapidly expands in size. The ball transformed into a large, deep blue circle. Standing almost as tall as one of the buildings in this town, the circular anomaly spins ever so slowly, small blue sparks fly out and dance around it.
Once it came into a complete spin, Edwen flew towards it with Marcus close behind. His Estus Flask attached to his belt, and both the strap of his axe and sword wrapped around his shoulder. He looked up at her as she turned her gaze towards him.
"We should make haste, Marcus." Edwen urged. Marcus tilted his head at her.
"Why the rush?" Marcus inquired, looking at her bewildered.
"Before I arrived here, I saw a small army of three hundred hollows, led by two demons, heading towards Ponyville." She looked over her shoulders and narrowed her eyes at the portal. "But the Hollows and demons aren't the only ones we should be wary of."
A/N: Star Shimmering: Mares & Gentlecolts, we're entering the coming arrival of Nightmare Moon.
Triple B Studios: Little does Marcus and the girls know though, Nightmare Moon won't be the only thing that'll make a shocking arrival.
Star Shimmering: Next chapter won't just feature Marcus first meeting the girls but a battle between he & Nightmare Moon and an unexpected foe.
Triple B Studios: Don't forget our warrior drago.
Star Shimmering: Oh, I haven't forgotten about him. But I won't say too much. :twilightsheepish:
Triple B Studios: Anyways, we hope you enjoyed the chapter everyone, stay tuned until the next one! :raritywink:
Star Shimmering: Chapter 4 is already in production as we speak.
Triple B Studios: Indeed!
Star Shimmering: Have a good day my shimmerings!
